“Grandmother, A’Bao hasn’t yet told Grandmother that A’Yu… is also still alive! It’s just that A’Yu’s identity is special now, so A’Bao thought… to wait until A’Yu returns in the future, then personally bring him to pay respects to Grandmother!”

But now, Grandmother could no longer hold on. She wanted to tell Grandmother this news before her passing…

“Elder Sister?!” Bai Jinxiu’s eyes widened, almost unable to hold back her tears.

A’Yu…

A’Yu of the Bai family’s legitimate bloodline!

Bai Jinxiu looked up to see Grandmother’s peaceful expression. Not wanting to make Elder Sister sadder, she knew that although Elder Sister showed no outward signs, she must be filled with tears and guilt at this moment. She forcibly bit her back teeth to suppress her sobs, burying her head as tears streamed down continuously.

How wonderful—A’Yu was still alive!

It was truly wonderful!

Grandmother had not yet seen A’Yu, A’Jue, had not yet seen A’Yun…

Elder Sister had already sent word for any Bai family sons who survived the Nan Jiang battle to return to the capital by the twentieth of June to witness the enthronement ceremony. Why wouldn’t Grandmother wait? Perhaps even more Bai family sons would return!

Why… be so resolute, not even wanting to see them one last time?

Bai Qingyan noticed Grandmother’s fingers seemed to twitch slightly. Her throat was swollen and painful as she choked back tears—she knew… Grandmother had heard.

Her voice was gentle and light: “On the twentieth of June, A’Bao hopes more Bai family sons will return. If they do… A’Bao will surely bring the brothers to kowtow to Grandmother… to tell Grandmother they have safely returned to the capital.”

Tears appeared at the corners of the Grand Princess’s peaceful eyes. Bai Qingyan used her hand to wipe them away for her.

Outside the great tent, Physician Hong and Shen Tianzhi’s group stood at the entrance, not daring to make a sound or speak. The entire camp seemed to have fallen silent.

Everyone knew that the Great Zhou Empress had personally led this campaign to rescue her grandmother, the Grand Princess of the former dynasty. But who would have thought that after rescuing her, the Grand Princess had taken poison?

Many were speculating that the Grand Princess was using her death to express her grief and anger, driving a nail into the Great Zhou Empress’s heart.

So that whenever the Great Zhou Empress sat on that throne, she would remember… that throne was obtained with her grandmother’s life.

At this time, who would dare risk their life to make noise?

Physician Hong shouldered his medicine box with furrowed brows, looking up at the towering flames in Luohong City. He felt indescribable emotions—it would be good if this fire in Luohong City burned away the corrupt Jin Dynasty along with everything else.

Du Sanbao ran over quickly, handing a letter to Physician Hong: “News from the capital’s direction. Physician Hong… it needs to be delivered to His Majesty immediately!”

“Give it to me!” Physician Hong reached out to take the letter, opened it, and glanced at it. “The old aristocratic families of Great Liang are dissatisfied and caused trouble after Miss left, but Fourth Miss has already suppressed them! In the capital… those former Jin imperial relatives want to negotiate terms with the Grand Princess and Miss, hoping to preserve their titles and fiefs.”

“Wishful thinking!” Du Sanbao spat.

“These former dynasty princes with fiefs can’t stir up much trouble. Before Miss came from the capital to Luohong City, she had already ordered the Bai Family Army to go to the Guang’an and Baishui fiefs, commanding the heirs and princes of both places to go to the capital together to observe the enthronement ceremony, with the Bai Family Army taking over the defense of both places. They wouldn’t dare not go!” Physician Hong spoke steadily. “Moreover, Miss instructed people to widely promote the new policies locally, explaining to the people the benefits of the new policies! The local soldiers mostly come from the common people of the fiefs—what benefits the people benefits them too. Who would still work hard for the feudal lords… continue being cattle and horses for the feudal lords?”

Shen Tianzhi nodded. Bai Qingyan had always valued the people and public sentiment, so such actions were not surprising.

Du Sanbao also felt relieved.

“The reason Miss didn’t send people to the three fiefs of Hedong, Anxi, and Shuofang is probably because she wants to go personally… It’s just right that returning from Luohong City to the capital, making a detour through these three places, wouldn’t waste much time. With Miss personally leading troops there… they presumably wouldn’t dare show any defiance.”

Hearing Physician Hong say this, Shen Tianzhi raised his eyebrows, not expecting Bai Qingyan to have such plans…

If Shen Tianzhi wasn’t mistaken, Bai Qingyan wanted to use this opportunity to completely abolish feudalism and thereby strengthen centralized power.

To put it bluntly, it mainly depended on who had more soldiers and whose fist was harder.

Bai Qingyan had many soldiers under her command. If she surrounded your fief and controlled your relatives and princely mansion… You would have no choice but to submit.

Moreover, the new policies Bai Qingyan intended to implement were originally beneficial to the people. The common people in those fiefs, who had originally been cattle and horses for the feudal lords, would they not be overjoyed and support Bai Qingyan upon hearing of the new policies?

From the moment Bai Qingyan took control of the capital and sensed the stirring of various forces, she had been wary of these imperial clan members and had begun making arrangements early… to prevent former dynasty princes with fiefs and private armies from harboring other intentions.

Before long, Physician Hong saw Lin Kangle, who looked like a black lump of coal, hurrying over. He bowed to Physician Hong and Shen Tianzhi and was about to enter the tent when Shen Tianzhi quickly grabbed him: “General Lin, wait!”

Lin Kangle thought Shen Tianzhi was criticizing his disheveled appearance and pushed away Shen Tianzhi’s hand: “What time is it now? I don’t have time to worry about etiquette. I need to see His Majesty—that useless Crown Prince of Jin and Qin Shangzhi has come to surrender!”

“Don’t go in yet…” Physician Hong spoke slowly.

Lin Kangle had followed Bai Qingyan for quite some time and knew that Physician Hong held no ordinary position beside Bai Qingyan. He glanced at Shen Tianzhi’s grave expression—was even the former Crown Prince’s surrender not a big deal anymore?

But that Qin Shangzhi… hadn’t His Majesty always wanted to recruit him? Now that he was delivering himself, why wasn’t there any urgency?

Lin Kangle bowed to Physician Hong: “Please enlighten me, Physician Hong.”

Physician Hong waved his hand: “There’s no enlightenment to give. The Grand Princess is dying, and Miss and Second Miss are inside. Don’t disturb them at this time.”

Lin Kangle suddenly understood. He looked toward the tent with its curtains drawn, stepped forward, and said to Physician Hong: “Physician Hong, that former Crown Prince was stabbed in the chest. Should you… Go take a look?”

“What’s the point of treating that former Crown Prince? With that time, it would be better for Physician Hong to treat a few more brothers who were burned!” Du Sanbao felt indignant.

Just now, Du Sanbao had been ordered to wait in the camp, and brothers injured by fire were being brought back one after another, burned beyond recognition. Those military doctors couldn’t even save the Great Zhou soldiers—why save some worthless former Crown Prince?

The Jin Dynasty was gone—who would still recognize a Jin Crown Prince?

Physician Hong stroked his beard and glanced at Lin Kangle: “Just send a military doctor over. I need to stay here and watch over… His Majesty’s health hasn’t fully recovered yet. If something were to happen, could the former Crown Prince’s life compensate for it?”